Somatic Therapy

In-person counseling in Denton and online throughout Texas.

You might be able to explain a difficult experience clearly, then notice your throat tighten when you get to a certain part. You may say you’re okay while your shoulders stay tense, or find that you feel very little when you expected to feel more. What you understand about an experience and what you feel as you talk about it can be different.

Somatic therapy includes what you notice in your body as we work through what brought you to counseling. We might pay attention to tension, movement, or changes in your breathing alongside your thoughts and feelings. This can give us another way to understand what’s happening and work with experiences that are difficult to put into words.

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15 minutes · Online

What somatic therapy means

Somatic means relating to the body. In counseling, that means noticing what you experience physically while we explore your emotions, relationships, and history. You might notice your hands clenching as you describe an argument, or your breathing easing when you say something you’ve been holding back.

We’ll explore those changes and whether they connect with what you’re feeling. I’ll ask what you notice and how you understand it. Your physical health, tiredness, and what has happened during your day matter, too. We won’t assume every sensation has an emotional explanation.

Making sense of what you notice

Sometimes a physical response is easier to recognize than the emotion connected to it. You may know that you feel tense without knowing whether you’re hurt, afraid, angry, or expecting someone to react badly. We can take time to explore those possibilities without deciding the answer for you.

We’ll also look at the experiences and expectations around that response. Perhaps you learned to keep your feelings to yourself, or to get through something difficult without stopping to notice how it affected you. As we understand more, we can work with the feelings, memories, and beliefs involved, along with what you need in your life now.

What this can look like in counseling

Starting with something you can notice

During a conversation, I may ask whether you notice anything happening in your body. You might describe a tight jaw, restless legs, or a change in how you’re sitting. If nothing stands out, you can tell me that, too. We can return to the conversation and see what you notice as we go.

Exploring a response together

If your throat tightens as you talk about a loss, we might slow down and notice what happens when you stay with that part of the conversation. There may be sadness, an effort to hold back tears, or something else you haven’t found words for. You can tell me what fits. We can take our time with it, shift our attention, or pause when you need to.

Including grounding and movement

We may explore the support of the chair beneath you, adjust how you’re sitting, or try a small movement and notice what changes. Breathing or grounding may be useful, too. These practices give us ways to work with what you’re experiencing while we continue exploring the feelings and meaning connected to it.

I’ll explain what I’m suggesting before we try it. If paying attention to a sensation makes it harder to stay present, we can focus on the room around you or return to talking. You have a say in what we explore and how we approach it.

Learn about nervous system regulation Learn about trauma therapy and EMDR Explore breathwork within counseling

What change can look like

You might become more able to recognize a feeling before it builds, notice when you’re holding something back, or stay with an emotion that used to feel too difficult. You may find it easier to put an experience into words or recognize what you need during a conversation.

We’ll also look at whether the situations we’re working on are beginning to feel different. Perhaps a reminder of the past feels less overwhelming, or you can speak honestly without spending the rest of the day feeling tense. Those changes help us understand how the work is carrying into your life and where you still need support.

Talk with me about getting started

During a free consultation, you can ask about somatic therapy and tell me a little about what you’d like help with. We’ll see whether counseling with me feels like a good fit. If we decide to move forward, we’ll schedule your first counseling session.